Lt. Reichard’s WWII Diary Project and Recap: On January 1, 2009, WorthPoint began a three year project following the life of a WWII soldier through the daily pages of his diary.To read about the inception of this project, or to add your own comments, click here.

January 1943 Recap: We first met Lt. Reichard in January, stationed at McClellan Air Base in Sacramento, where he was in charge of a motor pool unit. Expecting to be sent overseas, their orders were changed and they became restless to see action. Lt. Reichard’s sweetheart, Ginnie, would write frequently, and he would go to dinner and movies with local girls – Dorothy, in Sacramento, and Marie, when the unit moved to Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho. The men have spent their days in lectures, and physical demonstrations to try to keep sharp mentally and physically. But they are getting increasingly restless.

February 1943 Recap: The unit continues to be restless as they still haven’t any orders for overseas. The days are kept busy with lectures, physical demonstrations, and frequent hikes in the mountains above Boise. Lt. Reichard receives a promotion to Lieutenant First Class and continues to write to Ginnie back home, though her letters are becoming more infrequent. February 1943 comes to an end with the unit still feeling bored and discouraged.

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Transcript of Diary Entry March 4, 1943

Thursday, March 4, 1943

Gowen Fieid, Boise, Idaho

This morning I took some shoes up to be half-soled. The men can’t get it done because they are not supposed to wear oxfords so I take them up and say they are mine. I also checked on that W. D. Memorandum, Lt. Buckley told me to look up regarding O.C.S. candidates from an alerted outfit. It states that any man selected by a board for a school must have the approval of the Commanding General of the Port of Embarkation before he can be released. That is practicaly an impossibility so Sgt. W __________’s chances of going to school look slim. I sent a teletype to Ogden to get the final say and should hear tomorrow. I haven’t told him anything about it yet. It looks like we are going to have to move in with the [ink blotch] whether we like it or not. We move Monday and it sure is going to be a crowded move. There really isn’t room for the two outfits and it means double decking the bunks. This is a hell of a mess. I threw my rank a little and claimed the upstairs because that is where the rooms are. Tonight we played the Finance Dpt in softball and beat them. It was a tie until the last half of the last inning so it was a pretty tight game. Tonight I am staying in to get some writing done. It’s about time.